Paul Stastny (2nd L) celebrates with his teammates after he scores his team's first goal during the IIHF World Championship quarterfinal match between Russia and USA at Hartwall Arena on May 16, 2013 in Helsinki, Finland.

U.S. divers compete to make the world team while U.S. ice hockey players compete to win a world title this weekend. Other top American athletes are in action this weekend in sports such as canoe/kayak, rowing, track & field, swimming and more. Check out the Team USA Weekend Preview for all of the details.

Paul Stastny of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche scored two goals and Craig Smith of the Nashville Predators had an American-record five assists, leading the U.S. Men’s National Team to an 8-3 victory Thursday over Russia in the quarterfinals of the IIHF Men’s World Championship in Helsinki, Finland.

The United States will face Switzerland in the semifinals on Saturday in Stockholm, Sweden. A victory there would put Team USA in the gold-medal game Sunday.

Statsny struck first for the United States less than 12 minutes into the game against Russia, set up by Smith. Statsny has scored six goals in the tournament. The victory avenged an earlier 5-3 loss to Russia in pool play.

The United States has not secured a world title in men’s hockey since 1960, when the U.S. Olympic team won the gold medal in Squaw Valley, Calif. That year the Olympic Winter Games served as the world championships. No separate world championships were held during Olympic years from 1920 to 1968.

TV: 1 p.m. ET Saturday, NBC Sports Network

DIVING

USA Diving World Team Trials, May 15-20, Tallahassee, Fla.

Kristian Ipsen, a bronze medalist at the London 2012 Olympic Games, won the men’s 1-meter competition Wednesday and was the leader after the semifinals Thursday of the 3-meter at the USA Diving World Team Trials in Tallahassee, Fla. A two-time 2013 NCAA champion at Stanford University, Ipsen will compete in the 3-meter finals Sunday.

Up to two spots on the U.S. World Team are available in each individual and synchronized discipline at the trials, which continue through Monday at Florida State University. The 15th FINA World Championships will be held July 19-Aug. 4 in Barcelona, Spain. The competition will also decide roster spots for the World University Games.

Olympic gold medalist David Boudia, who claimed the silver at last week’s AT&T USA Diving Grand Prix in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will dive Friday in the 10-meter preliminaries and semifinals. The 10-meter finals are Monday.

Tori Lamp was the leader in the women’s 10-meter event. Ipsen and Harrison Jones finished 1-2 in the 1-meter to clinch spots on the world team, and Samantha Pickens and Deidre Freeman finished one-two in the women’s 1-meter.

“I’ve always wanted to do 1-meter at a world meet, but I’m usually doing 3-meter and 3-meter synchro, and three events is a little tiring,” Ipsen said. “Since I’m not diving synchro with anyone this year, I thought I might as well do 1-meter.”

Also in diving:

FINA Grand Prix, May 17-19, San Juan, Puerto Rico: David Dinsmore and Madison Witt advanced to the 10- and 3-meter finals, respectively, in their senior international debuts Thursday.

CANOE/KAYAK

ICF Sprint World Cup, May 17-19, Racice, Czech Republic

After earning a bronze medal in the season’s first World Cup racing last week, Maggie Hogan and Kaitlyn McElroy are hoping for even better results this week in the women’s K2 500-meter race at the ICF Sprint World Cup in Racice, Czech Republic. They have medaled three times over the last year in World Cup races.

Tim Hornsby, a 2012 Olympian, and Ryan Dolan will be in the men’s competition. Both reached the B Finals last week.

“We are all working hard for the same goal, to take American canoeing to the next level, and it’s very exciting to be in such a positive environment with Ryan, Maggie and Kaitlyn all striving toward such lofty goals,” Hornsby said. “I love competing with them against the best in the world and really love seeing everyone do so well.”

USA Canoe/Kayak Slalom Team Trials, May 17-19, Deep Creek Lake, Md.

Two-time Olympian Casey Eichfeld and 2012 Olympian Caroline Queen will be among those competing Friday through Sunday in the USA Canoe/Kayak Slalom Team Trials in Deep Creek Lake, Md. The races will determine roster spots on the 2013 U.S. Senior, Under-23 and Junior National Teams.

The competition has drawn an international field as a part of the Deep Creek Open because the venue will be host to the 2014 ICF Slalom World Championships.

Also in canoe/kayak:

USA Canoe/Kayak Marathon Team Trials, May 18-19, Sugar Land, Texas

ROWING

USRowing National Selection Regatta, May 16-18, Mercer Lake, N.J.

London 2012 Olympians Robin Prendes and Anthony Fahden had the fastest time trial Thursday in the lightweight men’s pair, and Olympic bronze medalist Henrik Rummel combined with Mike Gennaro for the fastest time in men’s pairs at the USRowing National Selection Regatta in Mercer Lake, N.J.

More than 100 athletes are competing in the selection races, which will determine which rowers will qualify to represent the United States at upcoming Samsung World Cup events. A top-four finish at a World Cup advances an athlete to the 2013 World Rowing Championships.

Justin Gatlin, who claimed the bronze in the men’s 100-meter dash at the London 2012 Olympic Games, will take on Olympic bronze medalist Warren Weir of Jamaica in the 200 Saturday at the IAAF Diamond League’s second meet of the season.

“The aim is really to make sure I’m fit to run a strong 100,” said Gatlin, who won the 100 last week in the Diamond League season opener in Doha, Qatar. “The 200 meter this year is really just to make my 100 meter even stronger, so I won’t feel any pressure here on Saturday.”

Other headliners in Shanghai include 110-meter hurdles world-record holder Aries Merritt, who will race against a packed field which features Americans Jason Richardson, David Oliver and Ryan Wilson. Olympic silver medalist Lashinda Demus is entered in the women’s 400 hurdles.

Seven U.S. athletes posted wins in the opening Diamond League meet, including meet records by Brittney Reese in the women’s long jump and Ryan Whiting in the men’s shot put.

USA Swimming Open Water National Championships, May 17-19, Castaic Lake, Calif.

Haley Anderson, Andrew Gemmell and Alex Meyer, all 2012 Olympians, will race for gold in the USA Swimming Open Water National Championships on Friday and Sunday in Castaic Lake, Calif. The 10-kilometer races are scheduled for Friday, followed by the 5k races Sunday.

Anderson became the first U.S. swimmer to earn an Olympic medal in the 10k, when she earned the silver at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Meyer, a 2009 world champion at 25 kilometers, also competed in the 10k in London.

The top two finishers in the men’s and women’s 10k, and the top finisher in the 5k races will be selected to represent the United States at the 2013 FINA World Championships. The 10k winners will have the option of also swimming the 5k or 25k at the worlds. The top six finishers in each 10k race will be named to the USA Swimming Open Water National Team. The races are also the U.S. selection event for the World University Games.

All five members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team in BMX racing will race Saturday for Stars-and-Stripes jerseys in the USA Cycling Elite BMX National Championships. The event will take place at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.

Among the top contenders in the elite men’s field is Connor Fields, the 2012 national champion and Olympian who had two victories last week at the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in Argentina. He will face a battle from 2008 Olympic silver medalist Mike Day, and 2012 Olympians Nic Long and David Herman.

Alise Post, a 2012 Olympian, is seeking her third consecutive national championship. Other contenders include Olympic teammate Arielle Martin, who was the highest-placed American woman with a seventh-place finish at the World Cup last week.

London 2012 Olympic medalists Kelley Hurley and Maya Lawrence lead the U.S. Women’s Epée National Team into a World Cup tournament in Rio de Janeiro, the site of the 2016 Olympic Games. The United States is ranked No. 4 in the world in women’s epée.

Also in fencing:

Grand Prix, men’s saber, May 18, Varsovie, Poland

ARCHERY

World Cup, May 13-19, Shanghai

Braden Gellenthien will face Martin Damsbo of Denmark in the gold-medal match of men’s compound on Saturday in the first Archery World Cup tournament of the season in Shanghai. Gellenthien defeated U.S. teammate Dave Cousins 148-145 in the semifinals. Gellenthien was the only U.S. archer in the finals in four disciplines. Brady Ellison, a 2012 Olympian, had advanced to the round of 16 in men’s recurve.

TRIATHLON

ITU World Cup, May 19, Huatulco, Mexico

Lukas Verzbicas and Eric Lagerstrom will race Sunday in the ITU Huatulco World Cup. No U.S. women are scheduled to compete.

BASKETBALL

USA Basketball Women’s World University Games Team Trials, May 16-19, Colorado Springs, Colo.

ReShanda Gray of the University of California is one of 10 USA Basketball international gold medalists trying to win spots on the USA Basketball Women’s World University Games Team. The trials for 33 invited players continue through Sunday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Team USA, coached by University of Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale, will begin play in the World University Games in Kazan, Russia, on July 8 against Belarus.

WRESTLING

United 4 Wrestling, United States vs. Iran, May 19, Los Angeles

Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs and Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott will lead the U.S. team of men’s freestyle wrestlers in Sunday’s “United 4 Wrestling” against Russia and Canada at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

Burroughs will seek his 54th consecutive victory wrestling at 74 kilograms/163 pounds. Scott will compete at 60kg/132 pounds. Olympians Tervel Dlagnev (120kg/264.5) and Sam Hazewinkel (55kg/121) also will wrestle for the United States in the international friendly.

The dual is part of a number of events in World Wrestling Month and follows up Wednesday’s “Rumble on the Rails” event at Grand Central Terminal in New York City. In that tournament, four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake won his international debut at 74kg/163.

BADMINTON

Sudirman Cup, May 19-26, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Eva Lee and Halim Haryanto Ho are among 10 U.S. athletes who will compete in the Sudirman Cup, which is the world mixed team badminton championships. The tournament is held every two years. More than 50 nations participate. Other members of the U.S. team: Howard Shu, Jimmy Pohan, Phillip Chew, Sattawat Pongnairat, Iris Wang, Jamie Subandhi, Karyn Velez, Paula Lynn Obanana.

The USA Rugby Women’s Eagles Sevens squad was scheduled to play Brazil, Spain and Australia on the opening day of the Amsterdam Sevens, which is the final leg of the inaugural IRB Women’s Sevens World Series. The Final Bowl and Final Plate games will be held Saturday. The United States won two of three pool-play matches at a warm-up tournament last week in London.

The first of three U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team Red vs. Blue scrimmages open to the public will be held Friday night at Santa Monica (Calif.) High School. U.S. coach and three-time Olympic gold medalist Karch Kiraly hopes to use the scrimmages to provide match-like competitions for athletes in training, and to build community relations in the southern California area. The men’s and women’s national teams are based in Anaheim, Calif.

Olympic flyweight bronze medalist Marlen Esparza (112 pounds) and Olympic teammate Queen Underwood (132) leads a strong U.S. team at this week’s Women’s Continental Championships in Venezuela. The 10-member U.S. team also includes world silver medalist Franchon Crews (165) and world bronze medalist Christina Cruz (119).

TABLE TENNIS

ITTF World Table Tennis Championships, May 13-20, Paris

Yahao Zhang made it to the round of 64 before being eliminated in men’s singles at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships in Paris. Zhang also teamed up with 2012 Olympian Ariel Hsing to make it to the round of 64 in mixed doubles. Zhang and Hsing were among 10 U.S. athletes competing at the worlds.

WATER POLO

Fisher Cup, May 18-19, San Diego

The USA Water Polo Junior National Team will be among nine teams competing in the 2013 Fisher Cup at the University of California-San Diego. The tournament is for the top men’s club teams in the nation. The New York Athletic Club is defending champion.

National titles in open-division singles and all age groups are being determined this week at the Ekteleon National Singles Racquetball Championships presented by Penn. The tournament is hosted by the Meridian Sports Club in Fullerton, Calif. The men’s and women’s National Team Qualifier divisions will determine roster spots for the men’s and women’s U.S. National Team.

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Paul D. Bowker is a freelance contributor for TeamUSA.org. Material from various news services and press releases from National Governing Bodies was used to compile this report. This story was not subject to the approval of any National Governing Bodies.